Moving On: A Collection of Drabbles and One Shots
by Sydrianfan4ever
Summary: This is a drabble/ oneshot collection about the trio era characters after the war ends. This was written for the Pick A List Competition and some other competitions in HPFC. The characters are in this order: Ron, Harry/Ginny, Hannah/Neville, Katie/Oliver, Justin, Draco/Astoria, Neville/Luna and George/Hermione(as friends!). COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: You do not really need to read A Haunted Kiss first before you read this story, because this just happens right after the first chapter. This is just a back-story in Ron's POV. This is written for the "Pick a List" Challenge and the "Favorite Era" Challenge. The first prompt from the Favorite Era Challenge is warmth. This is the first time I have written in Ron's POV, so I hope it is ok! **

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Ron Weasley Apparated back to Harry's apartment after he left Hermione Granger's flat. It was still raining out and he was soaking wet. He could barely feel it though. He was sure that his friendship with Hermione was over. He needed to talk to somebody. He couldn't go home, he did not want to explain anything to his family members if they asked him what was wrong.

Ron stood at Harry's footstep and started pounding on the door. He didn't care that it was close to midnight. Harry opened the door moments later, looking as if he had just rolled out of bed. "What's going on?" Harry asked curiously. Ron walked in quietly and welcomed the warmth. It was cold out because of the rain. He started heading toward the couch. He was so angry, and so hurt. He needed to calm down. He sat down on Harry's couch and put his head in his hands telling himself not to cry. Crying made him feel weak. He hated crying.

A few seconds later, Harry had joined him on the couch. "Ron?" he asked him softly, clearly sounding worried.

"I proposed to Hermione," Ron muttered. He knew his voice probably sounded muffled through his hands, but he did not dare move them away from his face.

"What? That is great news Ron!" Ron immediately began shaking his head stubbornly several times. He finally moved his hands away from his face and looked at his best friend. Harry looked stricken at the expression he wore. "Or not," Harry muttered softly. "What happened?" Ron took a deep breath and told him about how Hermione turned him down.

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Ron had just finished telling Harry what happened. "What if I can't make things right between us, Harry? What if I have lost her for good this time?" He looked over at his best friend to see him staring intently at the coffee table. Harry ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I don't know. It sounds like you and Hermione will both need space for a while. I would give her time to be angry with you, and to cool off a bit. You two have had serious fights before, but you always bounce right back to being best friends again."

Ron sighed and leaned against the back of the couch. "Yeah, but that was before things started becoming weird between us. I had never proposed to her before those fights. They say relationships can ruin friendships," he argued.

Harry remained skeptical though. He looked like he wanted to think positive about both of his friends. "Yeah, but none of those had Hermione Granger as a best friend. Just give it time, mate. She won't stop being friends with you."

Ron eyed Harry. He wasn't feeling completely convinced about this, but he hoped Harry was right. He couldn't imagine losing one of his best friends for good. He definitely needed to let go of his feelings for her first before they could ever be best friends again.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review! **


	2. Chapter 2: The Proposal

**A/N: This is for the Pick A Pair Challenge, the Ultimate Shipping Extravangza Challenge, and the Favorite Era Boot camp. The boot camp prompt #2 is shadows. Harry is the second character here. The pairing is Harry and Ginny.**

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Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley started dating again during the summer after the war ended. He knew almost immediately that he wanted to marry her. They had been through a lot more than most couples had for a lifetime. He couldn't imagine being with somebody else. One day when she was away at school, he went to her house and asked Mr. Weasley for permission to marry her. At first Mr. and Mrs. Weasley thought it was too soon, but he told them the war taught him not to waste chances with loved ones. That caused them to give him permission.

Harry had planned on surprising Ginny with a visit to Hogwarts during the first Hogsmeade visit of the year. He couldn't wait until that day though, so he arrived the night before and received permission from Professor McGonagall to visit the school. Professor McGonagall agreed to bring Ginny to him, though she didn't know he was there.

The long distance relationship was rough, especially since Harry was in his Auror training. They didn't have very much time to spend with each other. The last time they had seen each other had been the summer, though they wrote letters almost every day. He sat in Professor McGonagall's office while he waited for Ginny. The door suddenly opened, and he turned around to see Ginny standing at the door. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Harry.

"Harry!" She rushed forward and threw herself into his arms. "Wait, why are you here? Is everybody all right?" A worried expression fell on her face. Everybody wore it when they thought something had happened.

He shook his head and placed a kiss on her lips. "No, everything is fine!" He quickly reassured her. "I just wanted to surprise you," he admitted finally, trying not to reveal too much. Ginny pulled back to stare at him for a few moments, but then a bright smile appeared on her face and she threw her arms around him once again.

"Well, I'm definitely surprised!" She said, laughing softly as she kissed him again. Harry grinned and took her hand in his. He thanked Professor McGonagall before leaving. "She knew about this then?" Ginny asked, wearing an amused smile. Harry shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to give away too much yet, though he didn't know how much longer he could keep the ring from her. The war taught him that he shouldn't wait for the exact perfect moment. It might never come if he waited for it. He decided to change plans a bit when he thought about that.

"Let's go for a walk," he said, leading them towards the Great Hall. Ginny gave him a strange look but followed him. They reached outside and he pulled her close to him. It was getting darker out, and shadows were starting to appear in the outside grounds. Harry led her toward a tree they spent so much time at when they first started dating and sat down beneath it.

Ginny leaned her back against him and he bent his head down to kiss her lightly. They kissed for several moments, and Harry used that as a distraction to pull the box out of his pocket. Her eyes widened as he cleared his throat. He could feel himself blushing, but he pulled away to stand in front of on one knee. "Ginny," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "Will you-"

"Yes, Harry. Yes, yes, a million times yes!" Ginny said breathlessly and kissed him deeply. Harry pulled away quickly in surprise. "You didn't even let me finish," he said, laughing softly.

"I don't care," she told him stubbornly. "I already know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Harry Potter." Harry smiled as he opened the box to reveal a simple, small diamond ring. "I love you too, Ginny Weasley," he answered softly, kissing her softly again. He pulled her close to him and rested his chin on her shoulders as they watched the stars above them. Everything was perfect between them now.

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** A/N: I haven't written any Hinny stories before. I hope it turned out ok! I think it is a little cheesy, but I am leaving it like this. Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!**


	3. Salty Cookies

**A/N: This drabble was written for the Pick A List Competition, the 25 Days of Christmas Competition (with making cookies as the prompt) and the Monthly Het-Tastic Drabble- Athon Competition with cookies as the prompt. Hannah is my character and Hannah/Neville is my pair I used. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.**

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Hannah had just gotten started with baking Christmas cookies for the long list of people she had to bake for. She wanted to send some to the Weasleys, the Potters, Luna, and her parents. She also planned on sending some to Neville's parents as well.

A smile appeared on her lips when she thought of Neville. She hadn't seen him in the past few weeks because he was a teacher at Hogwarts. She missed him, though she was happy that he had gotten a job he loved.

The door opened and she heard him come inside. She could hear him trying to sneak up on her, and she shook her head. She could always tell when Neville was trying to be sneaky. He was too loud to accomplish it. Hannah didn't know why he tried sometime.

She turned around just in time to see him stick his finger inside the cookie dough bowl. By this time she had already baked two batches of chocolate chip cookies. He kissed her cheek before he tasted some of the dough. His smile turned into a wince.

"What?" Hannah asked in an urgent voice. She double checked all of the ingredients. She put everything in there this time! She wasn't a good cook, but she was determined to do something right for once! Neville made a face and shook his head before spitting the dough out of his mouth. "I put everything in it this time, darling! I promise!"

Neville's eyes travelled down the countertop. "I believe you… but honey…it's still salty. How much salt did you put in this?"

Hannah could feel her cheeks growing warm. "I put in what the recipe said-" She trailed off as grabbed the recipe. "Oh no. I put in a cup instead of a teaspoon!" She wailed. "I wanted everything to be perfect for when you came home…I'm so sorry, Neville."

Neville was at her side immediately. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder. She wanted to hide her embarrassment now. She felt him kiss her forehead and she looked up when she realized he wasn't mad.

"It's ok," Neville assured her. "But maybe next year I should do the baking."

Hannah sighed before she kissed him on the lips finally. "At least you didn't come home to a fire this year," she said jokingly, remembering last year. The two laughed together and her heart flipped when she looked into Neville's eyes.

"That's something," he agreed as he started to take off her apron. "Why don't we clean this mess up and go out to dinner tonight?" He suggested.

Hannah nodded as she muttered a couple of spells. She knew she was definitely done with cooking for a while. They needed to hire a maid, though she really did want to learn how to cook for him.

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**A/N: This has 478 words outside of A/Ns. Please leave a review! Thank you! **


	4. Ice Skating Confessions

**A/N: This one shot is written for the monthly one-shot competition, the 25 days of Christmas competition and the Ultimate Shipping Extravaganza Challenge. I used the prompt ice-skating for 25 days and crush for the monthly one-shot competition. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

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A knock was heard on Katie Bell's door a few days before Christmas. She had just joined the Puddlemere United team and was trying to relax before practice started after the holidays were over. It wasn't often when she had free time anymore.

She stood up and opened the door. She was surprised when she saw Oliver Wood grinning at her. He looked shy, but he also looked like he was on a mission. "Oliver, what are you doing here?" Katie asked, reaching over to hug him.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She noted that he held her closer than usual, though she tried to act like the embrace hadn't made her catch her breath. "I wanted to congratulate you for making the team. It looks like we are teammates again! Take my hand…I want to take you somewhere."

Katie eyed Oliver curiously. "Where are we going during this time of the day?" She nodded toward the sky, which was turning darker every second.

Oliver held a hand up in the air. "You'll see. Just trust me," he promised, holding out his hand.

Katie stared at him for a few seconds before she reached for his hand. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't have feelings for Oliver now, especially when they were going to be professional teammates. It would get in the way of their work. She couldn't help it though. She secretly had feelings for him, though Angelina and Alicia were the only two who knew.

After reached for his hand, they were twisting through the air. Katie had her eyes closed because she hated the sensations apparation had. It made her dizzy when she watched everything quickly turn through the air. She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached their destination and opened her eyes.

Her eyes widened when she saw an ice skating rink and a big Christmas tree. Katie frowned and turned toward Oliver. "Where are we?" She asked curiously, though she had a feeling she knew. It was a place she had seen in pictures several times before.

"We're at the ice skating rink in New York City. You told me one time how much you would love to go there," Oliver said, grinning shyly. A broad smile appeared on her lips and she rushed forward to hug him.

"Oliver! You didn't have to do that," she said, turning back to look at the ice skating rink. She had wanted to come here ever since she was a child. "And besides, you told me you didn't know how to skate," she said, remembering the rest of the conversation that followed after this confession.

Oliver shrugged sheepishly. "I figured you could teach me. Didn't you skate when you were little?"

Katie wore a dreamy smile while she remembered the times she skated and nodded. "Yeah… I wanted to be a figure skater. My parents wouldn't let me though. They thought it wouldn't be proper." She shook her head. They didn't think Quidditch was proper either, though she still played despite their disapproval.

She held his hand and started looking around for the place where they could order their skates.

"I wear size five," Katie told the person behind the counter after she looked at the feet measurements. Oliver looked up at her and nudged her slightly.

"You have tiny feet," he commented, raising an eyebrow at her and smirking slightly.

Katie shoved him back playfully. "I'd rather have tiny feet than big feet," she retorted, while pretending to glare at his feet. Oliver pretended to look hurt at her comment, but his expression returned to normal as he got his pair and paid for their skates. Katie started to protest when he paid, but Oliver wouldn't hear of it so she found a spot for them to put their skates on.

When they finally put their skates on she stood up and started walking slowly toward the rink. Katie was feeling nervous about teaching Oliver how to skate. Skating came naturally to her, though she didn't think she would be able to teach him as well as he had taught her Quidditch in her second year. She swallowed nervously as they stood at the edge of the rink.

"So, do you know any of the basics at all?" She asked, feeling shy for some reason. She glanced over at Oliver only to see him shake his head as he smiled and looked at her expectingly.

Katie reached for his hand as they walked onto the ice. She couldn't help but smile softly as he stumbled a little when they were on the smooth surface. She figured Oliver would pick up on this easily though; he was a natural at most sports.

"Well first you just put one foot in front of the other like this," she instructed, letting her feet glide on the ice a little. "And you move as if you are walking…" She watched as Oliver started to move forward. At first he made a few feeble attempts and held onto her hand tightly. After a few moments of practice he had actually managed to stand and skate a little smoother.

Katie beamed when she saw he was already getting better. "There you go… you are a natural," she said lightly. "Are you ready to skate on your own yet?" She asked.

Oliver hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded and slowly let go of her hand. "There's not much to this, unlike Quidditch," Oliver noted as he skated slowly.

Katie chuckled lightly and shook her head. "No…ice skating basics are easier to pick up on. But you probably won't be able to do anything like this for awhile-" She cut herself off and began skating fast before leaping in the air and landing on the ice in a twirl.

When she turned to face Oliver again, she saw an impressed expression on his face. "No, I definitely will not be doing that today at least," he answered honestly. "That was bloody wicked though," he said as he moved toward her.

Katie felt herself turning red at his words. "Thanks," she answered as he joined her side again.

They made their way around the rink a couple of times in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a nice one. Katie couldn't help but feel as if there was another reason for why Oliver brought her here. Her suspicions continued to grow, and she took his hand and stood in front of him to stop him from falling in surprise.

"Oliver," she began to say.

"Katie," Oliver answered. The corners of his mouth started to twitch upwards in amusement.

Katie didn't blink an eye before she started talking again. "We've always been able to be honest with each other…why did you really take me here?" she asked, looking deep into his eyes.

Oliver widened his eyes in surprise as he grew quiet. He ran a hand through his hair before letting out a sigh. "Well…I wanted to congratulate you on making the team," he said, avoiding her eyes.

Katie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Is that the whole reason?" She asked skeptically.

Oliver stared at something behind her head and started skating forward. "It's cold out here… they have hot chocolate, I can go get us some."

"Oliver Wood!" Katie tried to grab his hand to stop him, but he managed to get away from her quickly. She still managed to catch up to him before he got too far though.

"Oliver…Oliver, answer me. Please." Katie's voice was calm, and she tried to keep her expression gentle. She didn't want to scare him off before he answered. The fact that he had tried to get away from her confirmed that he was hiding something from her. And she didn't like it. They weren't close friends, but she still liked to think that they could tell each other anything otherwise.

She held her breath as Oliver finally seemed to have gathered the courage to meet her eyes. People skated around them and some tossed glares their way, but she didn't care. She just wanted to know what was up with her friend.

Oliver reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind her ears. She felt warm from his touch even though he was wearing mittens. "I remember the first time we met," Oliver began to say softly. "You were always happier flying. You were a natural and I knew you would be a fine addition to our team."

Katie stared at Oliver, though she remained silent. She tried to encourage him to go on with her eyes.

Oliver turned red and chuckled softly. "I was right about you… you were fantastic. I loved watching you fly. I was glad when we first became friends. I-" he coughed and cleared his throat nervously a couple of times. "Basically, what I'm trying to say is…Merlin! I can play Quidditch in front of thousands of people…but talking to one girl turns me into a blubbering idiot." He laughed and shook his head.

Katie caught his hand and turned his face toward her slightly. "I don't think you are a blubbering idiot," she told him honestly.

Her words seemed to have caught him off guard as he stared at her in surprise. He moved forward and wrapped his hands around her waist before pulling her close.

Katie was about to open her mouth ask him what was going on. Before she could, he lowered his head and kissed her deeply. The movement stunned her and made her heart start racing. She quickly reacted and pulled herself closer to him before returning the kiss deeply. She tried to put every emotion she felt toward him into that kiss. When they pulled apart, she kept her eyes closed and leaned her head against his forehead.

"I like you," Oliver whispered quietly. "I like you a lot. I think I always have."

Katie smiled and kissed him softly again and quietly ran a hand through his hair. "I like you too, Oliver Wood. I always hoped you did." she said teasingly.

Oliver wrapped his arms around her hugged her. "I was being serious about that hot chocolate," he said seriously after a few minutes. "It's bloody cold here."

"You can't even stop thinking about your stomach at a moment like this?" She giggled lightly before pushing his hat down past his eyes. She turned around and skated toward the hot chocolate stand before he could react.

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**A/N: I don't normally leave open ended endings, but I decided to this time. This is my first Katie/Oliver oneshot. **


	5. Trapped

**A/N: Justin was a hard character to write about. There isn't anything known about him during the war or after the war. This tells me that he was forced to cut ties with everybody from Hogwarts. I don't think his mother would've allowed him to return to the wizard world after the war over either. I hope this note helps a little. This is for the Pick a List Competition, and the 25 Days of Christmas Competition. I used snowflakes as my prompt. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.**

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Justin Finch Fletchley sighed as he stared out the window from his bedroom at his aunt's house. Christmas was coming, but everything was different this year. Watching snowflakes fall gave him a bit of comfort. It didn't make his depression disappear completely though. He had everything going right in his life until You-Know-Who returned. Everything in his world seemed to have crumbled after that.

He recently had to go into hiding because of the new Muggle-born laws. Justin couldn't return to Hogwarts while Death Eaters were there. He hadn't been able to write to any of his friends because their mail was being watched. He longed to talk to Hannah Abbott. They had started dating before he went into hiding. Thoughts of her made his depression go away as well.

Justin had been depressed ever since they moved out of England and into America. His father got captured by Snatchers before they moved out because he had tried protecting his family. He knew he was either dead or in Azkaban. He had accepted that a few weeks ago. Acceptance didn't make things easier though.

Justin could hear his aunt yelling about supper being ready, but he ignored her. Food wasn't comforting to him right then.

His time at Hogwarts felt like a dream by now. He felt trapped in the Muggle world with no way out. If only he could go back to his friends. If only he could at least write to them. He didn't have anything from school because he had to leave everything behind when they ran away.

He couldn't wait for the war to end. It was his only hope of getting out of this mess. He had no idea how long it would go on for, or how he would know when it ended. Justin realized he could be stuck here forever without even knowing a thing about the ending. It terrified him, though he was starting to accept that as well.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!**


	6. An Announcement

**A/N: Thanks Bex for this idea! This is written for the Pick A List Competition, the 25 Days of Christmas Competition, and the Monthly Het-Tastic Drabble-Athon. My prompts were holiday parties for 25 Days of Christmas and home for the drabble- athon. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.**

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Draco Malfoy was changing ties again when Astoria Malfoy entered the room. They were hosting a holiday party at their home again that year and spent all week preparing for it. Well, the house elves had done most of the preparing. They still had to do other tasks though, like figuring out place settings. He left that up to his wife though. She knew their friends more than they did. They had more holiday parties to attend to, but they liked hosting the first one.

He had been distracted when she came in, but when she didn't say anything, Draco looked up. It wasn't often when he was concerned about his wife, but she had been quiet all week. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. It was rare for him to be affectionate as well. "Is everything ok?" He asked as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

Draco remained quiet while he waited for her to answer. "I think so," she answered quietly. He wanted to sigh, but he held his annoyance back. He figured he wouldn't get a real answer if they were annoyed with each other.

A small smiled played on Astoria's lips as she turned to look at him finally. His curiosity continued to grow as he kept his eyes on her.

"I'm pregnant." Draco widened his eyes in surprise as he took a step back. _She was pregnant? They were pregnant? He was going to be a dad?_ He wondered to himself. He wasn't sure what to expect, but this had been far from his mind.

A chuckle escaped from him a moment later. "I'm going to be a dad?" He asked in awe. Astoria nodded as she closed the gap between them and kissed him.

Draco's heart soared when he heard this news, though half of him still didn't know what to think. He didn't know how to be a father, though he knew he didn't want to be like his father. He shook those thoughts away and kissed her deeply on the lips.

"I'm so happy to hear this news," he said honestly. He could deal with his other feelings later. A baby had to be celebrated after all. He couldn't believe he was going to have a child of his own. He reached for Astoria's hand as somebody rang the doorbell. Draco Malfoy was going to be a father! Everything was going to change for sure.

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**A/N: The baby is going to be Scorpius of course. Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!**


	7. Gryffindor Courage

**A/N: I know this is about the trio era characters after the war, but I really wanted to write about Nuna during it. Nuna is non-canon, so it is slightly AU. I just didn't want to confuse anybody here. This was written for the Pick a List Competition, the 25 Days of Christmas Competition with fireplace as the prompt, the Ultimate Shipping Extravaganza Challenge, and the Montly Het-Tastic Drabble Athon Competition. Special was my prompt used here. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.**

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Neville had been a bit distraught ever since he got off the train to go home for Christmas in his seventh year. The train had stopped again like it had at the start of term, but this time the Death Eaters had taken Luna Lovegood.

His Luna.

His grandmother hadn't understood a word he had said when he got off the train, but Seamus told her everything for him. He had tried to fight them off, but it hadn't been good enough. Luna had been taken away anyway. She had acted differently around him ever since they had gotten home. He had heard her say the words, "Brave boy," and "Courageous, just like his parents," a few times, but they didn't cause him to stir at all. He just kept staring at the fireplace with his hand in his hair.

He had finally gotten more praises than ever from his grandmother, but the cost had been high. Neville was starting to realize just how much Luna meant to him. He was worried about what the Death Eaters would do to her, but he could only hope that she would stay strong through whatever she went through.

Neville finally realized just how special Luna was to him. She was his flame in the darkness. He supposed he had to find his own light now that she was….He shook his head. He couldn't think about about her like that. She would come back to him one day. He had to believe that.

When she came back to him, he would know they were meant to be. He would pluck up his Gryffindor courage and tell her exactly how he felt. He would wait as long as it took, though he would put up a good fight in the war for her. He would try to find her if he could. Neville just hoped that he wouldn't be too late.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading this collection! Thank you everybody for reviewing, favoriting and following this. This is most likely my last story for it. Please leave a review! **


	8. Wish You Were Here

**A/N: This was written for the Monthly Oneshot Competition with the Burrow as my prompt. It was also written for the Number of Your Pen Name Challenge, the SuperMegaFabby Friendship Only Challenge, and the 25 Days of Christmas Competition with hot chocolate as my prompt. Warning: This is another Fred is dead story, but it will probably be the last one I'll write. Sorry! Fred will be alive in most of my other stories. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.**

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George Weasley didn't want to get out of bed on Christmas Day after the war ended. The loss of his twin had taken a toll on him, and he couldn't seem to get the strength to carry on again. Ron and Percy had talked him into keeping his shop open and they took turns running it, though he still couldn't face going there. He spent most of his time at the Burrow.

He hadn't seen anybody really since the war ended. He hadn't been able to face them. George didn't want to look in their eyes and watch them glance behind him as if they were expecting somebody else. His mother had tried talking him into coming down for presents, but he didn't see the point. He didn't want anything that was underneath the tree.

George wanted Fred. Nothing else mattered to him anymore. The afternoon rolled around and George heard a soft knock on the door. He ignored it like he did the other few times, but he hadn't heard footsteps walking away this time.

"George? It's Hermione." George froze when he heard Hermione's voice. She was the last person he wanted to see. She had been dating Fred when he died and he knew that they loved each other more than they had let on. George had hoped that they would get married when the war was over. But it didn't happen. His fists clenched tightly against his sides as he closed his eyes.

He couldn't see why Hermione wanted to talk to him. She must hate the fact that he lived while her boyfriend hadn't survived.

George somehow managed to stand up and walk over to the door. He knew that she was the only person who would understand his loss. When he opened it, his heart sank. She looked as awful as he felt, though she somehow managed to hold herself together more. "Hermione," he muttered softly as their eyes met for the first time in months.

He almost closed the door on her, but something held him back. "George…c-can I come in? Please? I can't stay down there any longer." She shook her head and started trembling. She was barely able to stop her tears from falling.

George ran a hand through his hair before letting out a sigh. He really didn't want company that day. But something told him that Hermione needed him. He finally nodded and stood aside to let her in. "I probably won't be much company," he mumbled as she walked in.

"That's ok. I didn't want to talk to anybody. I-" her voice shook as she trailed off. Hermione held out a mug she was holding. "Your mum made me take some hot chocolate…I don't want it though. Do you?" She held it out toward him, and he shook his head. She sniffed as she glanced around the room.

He stood there helplessly when she buried her head into her hands and turned around to calm down. George had the feeling that she had burst into tears again. He closed his eyes tightly. _Fred…I don't know what to do here. You should be here with Hermione. Not me._

He felt a nudge from behind him and it almost made him jump and look behind him. George didn't dare look behind him though, because he knew there would be nothing there. He opened his eyes and started walking toward her. "Hermione," he murmured.

Hermione turned around at the sound of his voice and buried her head into his chest.

George felt himself stiffen at her touch, but then he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. He felt protective of her suddenly. She had been his brother's girl after all. He ran a hand through her hair soothingly.

"I miss him," he heard her say, even though her voice sounded muffled.

Tears started to form in his eyes, though he squeezed them shut again so they wouldn't fall. He couldn't talk about Fred with anybody. But he couldn't bear to see Hermione like this. He pulled her into a hug and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I…I miss him so much that it hurts to breathe sometimes. N-Nobody else understands. They try," she said.

George pulled away and lifted her chin gently. Their eyes met and he quietly wiped the tears away. "He loved you," he said weakly. He cleared his voice to make it sound strong again. "He never told me. But I could see it. I saw the way he looked at you, and the way treated you. You were everything to him."

He could feel her relaxing a little, and she had stopped shaking by now. "Fred wouldn't want to see you like this. Hell, he wouldn't want to see me like this either." His voice shook as he thought about how Fred might feel if he could see them right now. George knew that Fred wouldn't like it one bit. He finally remembered what everybody else had been trying to tell him about moving on during these last few months.

"I don't know how to be myself without him though. I'm sure you feel the same way," George said, quickly looking into her eyes. She nodded in response and he continued talking.

"Hermione…. I don't ever want to take Fred's place. But I think we need to be friends. I won't replace him." He shook his head stubbornly as he said that. George didn't think he could live with himself if people ever thought of him as Fred's replacement. He was his own person after all.

He held his hand out toward her. "Will you be my friend?" George held his breath as Hermione started wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"Yes…I think he would want that." She sniffled as she took his hand, but no tears came out of her eyes this time. George was pleased that he had made her stop crying for a little while at least. His heart still had that missing feeling he had ever since Fred died, but he still felt like this was the right thing to do.

George reached over to hug her again and he thought of Fred again. After a few moments, they pulled apart. "Do you want to try going downstairs?" He asked her. Hermione hesitated for a second, but then nodded and started walking toward the door.

_ Fred… I wish you were here. More than anything else,_ George thought to himself as they walked downstairs together. He mentally prepared himself to face his family. Sometimes he felt like Fred could actually hear his thoughts and that actually gave him strength more than anything else in the rare moments he was strong._ I'm going to try to survive somehow. I'll carry our legacy on. I just wish you were here._

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**A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! This will definitely be the last chapter of this. I just had to add George into this collection.**


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